2001 Toyota Highlander Limited from North America - Comments

Any given SUV? I would rather be in a Hummer if I went head on into an Accord... not vice versa. Air bags are not going to protect your lower extremities and legs. My new GM has side air bags. It would be nice if you update your comments to the 2007 models... not old models. To me safer also means having better power to maneuver out of the way and better larger brakes... my Acura TL-S poor brakes and false side airbag warnings that would intermittently flash its triangle on the dash. I never had an accident, but I surely would still rather be in a Hummer if that were to ever occur.

Oh, I see. Anything any yahoo posts on this board about how their SUV gets 40 mpg and is safer than a safe is 100% valid, but any third party research that doesn't tow the party line is suspect.

Seems the government agrees, too, as no car I've been in has warnings on the visor about how "this vehicle does not handle like a regular vehicle"

Hummers are some of the most unsafe vehicles on the road. Head on crashes represent a small portion of actual accidents and even then airbags + safety cell win over your false sense of safety.

For research, I suggest you look up independent studies, please explain to me why no Hummer has been listed even as "good" in crash tests.

You obviously haven't been in my vehicle. It has a VERY PROMINENT yellow warning label on the visor CLEARLY STATING that it does not handle like normal vehicles. As for independent research, I took a course at the University during my psychology studies entitled "Lying with statistics". It clearly discussed how large corporations (such as Japanese auto makers) hire "independent research groups" to provide whatever bogus data that they need. This is VERY COMMON practice in the world. Every large corporation has hired "information control specialists" to make people believe anything they want, from false reliability statistics to global warming. Enlightened people learn to see through such bogus data, but the vast majority of people never question it.

I really do not care about my mpg in my SUV and I certainly would rather have my 2 young children in mine... then in my high end Honda that suddenly and with no warning had its transmissions fail. If you are on an interstate with tractor trailers all around you better be in the right lane to drop onto the shoulder immediately. That was my final import. I'd rather read a sunvisor than having my family read an obituary.

Excuse me, but the Honda Pilot does not have that problem nor does any new Honda vehicle since they redesigned the Oddyssey.

When we were choosing our most recent SUV we didn't even bother to drive a Honda Pilot due to all the stories about their horribly unreliable transmissions. We did drive the Highlander, but were not impressed (it was slow and handled poorly). Fortunately we decided to buy a domestic SUV. Since then I've read tons of stories about the Highlanders also having terrible transmission problems as well as problems with brakes and major safety recalls. I think the myths that have been spun by the ad departments of Honda and Toyota are no longer able to offset the harsh reality that these vehicles are not only unreliable, but downright dangerous.

Sorry Honda has had serious extensive transmission issues... my latest was their upscale Acura TL. I have owned Hondas-Acuras since 1989. Check out TL's on this site it may enlighten you if you are not very knowledgeable about Hondas.

I now own 2 new GM's.

What benefit does a Japanese manufacturer have in "paying" an idependent research firm to say small cars are safer than SUVs when THEY SELL SUVs THEMSELVES? It's like Baskin Robbins paying a company to say ice cream makes you fat.

If you want to risk your families' lives in SUVs, go ahead. Just make sure I, as a taxpayer, am not paying for it - you better be paying your own medical and car insurance.

I said that they have fixed most of the issues for the new TL!! THE 2004 and newer models and the new oddysseys! READ THESE REVIEWS MORE CLOSELY NEXT TIME!

Speaking of reading, it appears that most comments on these sites seem to fall into two categories: Honest admissions of the many problems the Japanese auto makers are having with myriad mechanical problems and serious safety issues (by actual owners of these vehicles in most cases), and unfounded attacks, insults and silly claims made by fanatics who probably have never even DRIVEN one of these death traps.

If nothing else, this site has given me a far greater insight into the thinking of those who blindly follow the ad dollars poured into the creation of costly (and often DANGEROUS) myths. After perusing many of these sites and comments it is doubtful that I will ever so much as consider another Japanese car (and we've had 3).

I would typically expect the average individual that bought any Acura TL new to be a college grad. Common sense would dictate if you have 2 transmissions on a low mileage well cared for vehicle you are not going to dash out for a repeat.

I may buy another Acura I have also owned a new Legend which was my best car. My boss owned a new black NSX and I drove it on occasion as well. His only issue was premature tire wear and it was very costly to repair the body after a low speed impact. I may go back to Acura, but it will have to be a few years from now to be sure that the problems have been totally resolved. The only model I liked was the TL the RL was too soft. I also looked at Lexus did not like the ride and handling by the way.

I drive one of these "death traps" and have had no trouble at all. I have 141,000 miles and I take great care of my transmission. I make sure I change the fluid every 30-35,000 miles. I know there is probably a defect with the transmission, but I have taken care of the problem for me and my transmission gears are happier as ever!

What year... was it pre 2000? It happened to me twice. Wouldn't the dealer do full scheduled service that I always asked for? I had no qualms having everything that possibly needed to be done and had faith that they would address everything. I didn't go the cheap or the neglect route... very disappointed is an understatement.

Changing transmission fluid at 30-35,000 miles is just another of the outrageous expenses required by the imports. In 60,000 miles my current GM car has had ZERO maintenance except for oil changes. I checked my owner's manual regarding transmission maintenance and it simply states "This transmission requires no maintenance under normal driving conditions". Considering that 2 of our GM vehicles have gone over 230,000 miles with no transmission maintenance I'm sure that information is correct. We spend less on total maintenance on our GM vehicles in 200,000+ miles than our import owning friends spend on required maintenance on their cars in the first 36,000 miles.